Stephanie Lain
I am most passionate about discovery. I spend a lot of time thinking about the world, about society, about why we do the things we do and how we learn the things we know.
I enjoy many things about teaching at MIIS, but what I enjoy most is perhaps the sense of community that builds over the semester, together with the feeling of working towards a common goal. What excites me about being at MIIS is the diversity of experience and breadth of knowledge that the faculty and the student population bring.
María Jesús Iglesias-Barca
Maria Jesus Iglesias Barca is currently an Instructor in the Graduate School of Translation, Interpretation, and Language Education (GSTILE). She is also a Spanish Instructor for the Custom Language Services (CLS). Before coming to the Monterey Institute, she taught Spanish at All Saints’ Day Middle School, International School of Monterey (5th to 8th grades), and Santa Catalina Lower, Middle, and Upper School. Prior to coming to Monterey, she was a Lecturer of Spanish at Pennsylvania State University for five years.
Jie Zhu
Professor Zhu is originally from Beijing, China. She is a tenured professor at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) and has received multiple Provost Teaching Excellence Awards. Besides her 18 years of teaching experience, she also worked as a full-time interpreter at the US Embassy in Beijing during negotiations on China’s entry into the WTO.
In addition to teaching CHLA 8310 - "Conversation on Contemporary China", Professor Zhu is also involved with Direct Studies and the Custom Language Services.
Rana Issa
Rana Issa is specialized in teaching Arabic language and culture and teaches courses such as Arabic, Arabic Speaking Countries, and Media in the Arabic World. She has extensive experience coordinating language programs, translating documents, and working in a professional Arabic-speaking environment.
Rana has received the Commandant Coin of Excellence for superior dedication to teaching and curriculum development in the Defense Language Institute.
Alexandra Velikoshapko
Alexandra Velikoshapko teaches courses such as Current Social and Political Issues and Political and Ethnic Conflict in Modern Russia. Her expertise is in creative learning environments and cooperative learning. She has extensive teaching experience and has helped to develop and implement comprehensive lesson plans that accommodate all levels of learners.
